Automobile-switching truck.



w H. BARNETT. AUTOMOBILE SWITCHING TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED .HILY I8. 1917.

1,261,681, Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- INVENTOR ATTORNEY H. BARNETT.

AUTOMOBIL E SWITCHING TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED JULY I8. 1917.

1 ,26 1 68 1 Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY g ii mw .6. 8k: [5 Earhart fiarz ggt BY I time s 'rEs AUTOMOBILE-SWITCHING TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed July 18, 1917. Serial No. 181,387.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HERBERT BARNETT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Kingston, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Switching Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile switching trucks, the object in View being to produce a simple, durable and convenient truck upon which the wheels of an automobile or other motor vehicle are adapted to be driven and upon which they are adapted to be supported, the improved truck enabling the rear or front of a motor vehicle to be shifted in any direction for the purpose of compactly arranging or disposing motor vehicles in a limited space, at the same time enabling them to be removed from such limited space and shifted about from place to place as may be found necessary.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein fullydescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved truck.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the method of using the truck.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the choeks.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the truck partly in section, showing the inclined run way in its elevated position.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the coupling pin.

The automobile switching truck contemplated in this invention, comprises as the essential elements thereof, a pair of wheel rests 1 and a pair of inclined runways or approaches 2 leading to the rests 1 and connected thereto by means of hinges 3, adapting the inclined runways 2 to be folded upwardly out of the way during the shifting operation or folded upwardly and then downwardly on the rests 1 when not in use for the sake of compactness and storage or transportation purposes.

Fastened to each of the wheel rests 1 and preferably arranged at opposite sides of each wheel rest is a plurality of caster wheel hangers A, there preferably being six of such hangers arranged in oppositely dlsposed pairs as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The hangers 1 rise from and above the top surfaces of the wheel rests -l so that the l atter may be located in a low down position close to the ground or floor thereby reducing the power or energy required to move the vehicle upwardly on the inclined runways 2 until the wheels are rolled upon the wheel rests 1. Each of the hangers l has attached thereto a swiveled ball bearing caster wheel 5 free to turn in any direction.

The wheel rest 1 and the inclined runways 2 are connected by longitudinally extensible connecting bars each of which is designated generally at A, each of said connecting bars comprising a tongue-like member 6 and a tongue-receiving member 7. The tongue-like member 6 has attached to the free end thereof a runner 8 and said runner is provided at opposite sides of the tongue 6 with holes 9 while the tongue-receiving member 7 is provided with longitudinal series of holes 10 arranged transversely opposite each other, the holes 9 being adapted to register with the holes 10 in order to enable the arms 11 of a two-armed coupling pin 12 to be insert ed through said holes for the purpose of preventing any further relative slidable movement between the tongue 6 and the tongue-receiving member 7. The extremities of the arms 11 are bent substantially at right angles to form retaining fingers or extremities 13 which will prevent said twoarmed coupling pin from becoming accidentally displaced during the shifting movement of the truck. By the means just described, the wheel rests 1 and the inclined runways or approaches 2 are prevented from moving toward and away from each other. At the same time provision is made for adjusting the distance between the wheel rests 1 and the runways 2 to accommodate wheel bases of different gages or widths. A raising and lowering connection 14, shown in the form of a chain, is connected atone end to the pin 12 which is associated with the connecting bar A which unites the inclined runways, and said chain is provided at its free end with an eye or ring 15 adapted to be detachably engaged with a hook 16 of the two-armed coupling pin 12 which is associated with the connecting bar A which couples the wheel rests 1. After the wheels of the automobile have been positioned upon the wheel rests 1, the attendant by grasping ways in their elevated positionswhich will facilitate the shifting of the truck from place to pla cew hilethe automobile, wheels are resting'u'pon and supported thereby.

It will of course be understood-that two trucks such as hereinabove described may be used, one to s'upport'the rear Wheels and the other to support the "front wheels of the vehicle, which will facilitate the shifting of the vehicle. The vehicle may be pushed 0 1 pulled by hand untilthe wheels thereof are sup orted by the wheel rests, or the machine may bekpropelled by its own power upon and from the truck.

1-7 represents stop blocks or checks each of which is "formed with a tongue or pro{ j e'ct'ion' 18 insel't'ible through any one 01 a longitudinal-series of holesin the wheel west, enabling said stop blocks to beshifted from place toplace'and T properly positioned to pr'event'the wheels from rolling ofi??th e wheel rests during the shifting operation of the switching truck,

In vehicle switching truck, the combinationbf a pair of wheel rests arranged at s 'lcha distance apart as to support the opposite wheels of a vehicle, a pair of inclined runways having: a hinged connection with said wheel rests, longitudinally extensible connecting bars interposed betweenthe wl1eelrestson "the one hand and the inclined runways on the other hand, a'coupling pin associated with each of saidg longitudinally extensible connecting bars, a flexible 00mm; tion attached-to the coupling pin of one of said-bars and adapted; to be detachably connected to the cou aling pinlof the other bar, and a plurality of swiveled caster wheels associated with each wheel inest each of said caster wheels embodying a supporting: hanger which I'lSQSktbONE the uppen sufface of the respective wheel rest.

In testimony whereof Laflix my signature.

' BARNETT.

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